The oil spill was caused by an explosion at an offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The leak is releasing some 5,000 barrels of oil per day, and efforts to manage the spill with controlled burning, dispersal and plugging the leak have been unsuccessful.

This oil spill could become the worst oil spill in history, surpassing the damage done by the Exxon Valdez tanker that spilled 11 million gallons of oil into the ecologically sensitive Prince William Sound in 1989.

Here is some of the latest BP oil spill news in photos.

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Exposed marsh grass roots are seen in an oil-impacted area of marshland in Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. There is no comprehensive calculation for how much marshland was oiled by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but estimates range from less than a square mile to a handful of square miles. Regardless, Louisiana loses roughly 25 square miles of marsh each year due to a host of environmental and manmade causes. The state is the site of one of the most ferocious rates of land loss in the world. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Shoots of young marsh grass, center, emerge from a bed of oiled grass in Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. There is no comprehensive calculation for how much marshland was oiled by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but estimates range from less than a square mile to a handful of square miles. Regardless, Louisiana loses roughly 25 square miles of marsh each year due to a host of environmental and manmade causes. The state is the site of one of the most ferocious rates of land loss in the world. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Water laps against an oil-impacted area of marsh grass in Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. There is no comprehensive calculation for how much marshland was oiled by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but estimates range from less than a square mile to a handful of square miles. Regardless, Louisiana loses roughly 25 square miles of marsh each year due to a host of environmental and manmade causes. The state is the site of one of the most ferocious rates of land loss in the world. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

A raccoon walks in an oil-impacted area of marsh grass in Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. There is no comprehensive calculation for how much marshland was oiled by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but estimates range from less than a square mile to a handful of square miles. Regardless, Louisiana loses roughly 25 square miles of marsh each year due to a host of environmental and manmade causes. The state is the site of one of the most ferocious rates of land loss in the world. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Dead marsh grass shoots are seen in an area that was impacted by oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. There is no comprehensive calculation for how much marshland was oiled by the spill, but estimates range from less than a square mile to a handful of square miles. Regardless, Louisiana loses roughly 25 square miles of marsh each year due to a host of environmental and manmade causes. The state is the site of one of the most ferocious rates of land loss in the world. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Water laps against an oil-impacted area of marsh grass in Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. There is no comprehensive calculation for how much marshland was oiled by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but estimates range from less than a square mile to a handful of square miles. Regardless, Louisiana loses roughly 25 square miles of marsh each year due to a host of environmental and manmade causes. The state is the site of one of the most ferocious rates of land loss in the world. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

An oil-impacted area of marsh grass is seen in Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. There is no comprehensive calculation for how much marshland was oiled by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but estimates range from less than a square mile to a handful of square miles. Regardless, Louisiana loses roughly 25 square miles of marsh each year due to a host of environmental and manmade causes. The state is the site of one of the most ferocious rates of land loss in the world. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In this Oct. 14, 2010 picture, Plaquemines Parish coastal zone director P.J. Hahn walks through oiled marsh grass in Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast. Six months after the rig explosion that led to the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, damage to the Gulf of Mexico can be measured more in increments than extinctions, say scientists polled by The Associated Press. There is no comprehensive calculation for how much marshland was oiled, but estimates range from less than a square mile to just a handful of square miles. Regardless, in the big picture that's hardly alarming: Louisiana loses roughly 25 square miles of marsh each year due to a host of environmental and manmade causes. The state is the site of one of the most ferocious rates of land loss in the world. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In this Oct. 14, 2010 picture, an oil-covered crab crawls on a glove worn by Plaquemines Parish coastal zone director P.J. Hahn in Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast. Six months after the rig explosion that led to the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, damage to the Gulf of Mexico can be measured more in increments than extinctions, say scientists polled by The Associated Press. The scientists saw a hit for the region's wetlands, an already weakened massive natural incubator for shrimp, crabs, oysters and fish. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In this Oct. 14, 2010 picture, a streak of oiled marsh grass winds through Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast. Six months after the rig explosion that led to the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, damage to the Gulf of Mexico can be measured more in increments than extinctions, say scientists polled by The Associated Press. There is no comprehensive calculation for how much marshland was oiled, but estimates range from less than a square mile to just a handful of square miles. Regardless, in the big picture that's hardly alarming: Louisiana loses roughly 25 square miles of marsh each year due to a host of environmental and manmade causes. The state is the site of one of the most ferocious rates of land loss in the world. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In this Oct. 14, 2010 picture, shoots of marsh grass emerge from a bed of oiled grass in Bay Jimmy near the Louisiana coast. Six months after the rig explosion that led to the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, damage to the Gulf of Mexico can be measured more in increments than extinctions, say scientists polled by The Associated Press. There is no comprehensive calculation for how much marshland was oiled, but estimates range from less than a square mile to just a handful of square miles. Regardless, in the big picture that's hardly alarming: Louisiana loses roughly 25 square miles of marsh each year due to a host of environmental and manmade causes. The state is the site of one of the most ferocious rates of land loss in the world. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

A bird prepares to land next to an absorbent boom on the shoreline impacted by oil from the Deepwater Horizon rig in Bay Jimmy in Plaquemines Parish, La. on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In this Aug. 16,2010 file photo, faint streaks of weathered oil are seen on the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana. Scientist studying the gulf oil spill differ on the amount of oil that was spilled into the Gulf of Mexico from the BP Deepwater Horizon rig, how much remains in the water and the long term effect on the environment. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 17: Gary Lopinto, a commercial seafood inspector for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, sniffs a filet of drum fish for oil contamination at Inland Seafood August 17, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Seafood captured in Louisiana waters is randomly checked, both by sense of smell and chemical testing, on a regular basis following the massive oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico caused by the Deepwater Horizon accident. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The Transocean Development Driller III, left, and the Transocean Development Driller II, right, the rigs responsible for drilling relief wells at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil wellhead, are seen on the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

VENICE, LA - AUGUST 14: Recently washed ashore oil is shown on a beach during a survey tour near the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River on August 14, 2010 near Venice, Louisiana. The flow of oil from the Macondo well has been halted but recent storms in the area have washed oil ashore, forcing cleanup crews to clean the same area multiple times. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

VENICE, LA - AUGUST 14: NOAA scientist John Tarpley (C) uses a shovel to dig several inches into the sand near Berwood Bayou at the Southwest Pass during a survey tour with officials from BP on August 14, 2010 near Venice, Louisiana. The flow of oil from the Macondo well has been halted but recent storms in the area have washed oil ashore that mixes several inches into the beach sand, forcing cleanup crews to clean the same area multiple times. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

GRAND ISLE, LA - AUGUST 11: Ricky Breaux wades in from the ocean near a pool of dispersed oil after pulling crabs from a line on a recently reopened public beach August 11, 2010 in Grand Isle, Louisiana. Due to a possible tropical storm hitting the area, operations to finish drilling the relief well have been temporarily halted. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

GRAND ISLE, LA - AUGUST 11: A pool of dispersed oil collects on a recently reopened public beach August 11, 2010 in Grand Isle, Louisiana. Due to a possible tropical storm hitting the area, operations to finish drilling the relief well have been temporarily halted. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

GRAND ISLE, LA - AUGUST 11: A pool of dispersed oil collects on a recently reopened public beach August 11, 2010 in Grand Isle, Louisiana. Due to a possible tropical storm hitting the area, operations to finish drilling the relief well have been temporarily halted. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

GRAND ISLE, LA - AUGUST 10: Pools of dispersed oil collect on a section of the public beach that was reopened yesterday for the first time in nearly 3 months August 10, 2010 in Grand Isle, Louisiana. According to a statement issued by BP, efforts to complete the relief well will cease temporarily due to a U.S. National Weather Service prediction that there is a 60 percent chance of a tropical cyclone forming in the Gulf in the next 24 hours. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

In this Aug. 5, 2010 photo, a bulldozer hauling oiled sand drives past workers as they search for signs of oil on a beach in Grand Isle, La. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

A oil platform is seen past brown pelicans as they float on the Gulf of Mexico in Grand Isle, La., Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In this Thursday Aug. 5, 2010 picture, A.C. Cooper, vice president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, holds a bottle of oil as he pleads to Ray Mabus, U.S. secretary of the Navy, to ensure the safety of Louisiana seafood during a town hall meeting for fishermen and residents in Buras, La. Cooper said that he collected it from an inland bay in southern Plaquemines Parish earlier in the day. (AP Photo/Chuck Cook)

In this Aug. 3, 2010 photo, an oil sheen is seen in Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana. BP claimed a key victory Wednesday in the effort to plug its blown-out well as a government report said much of the spilled oil is gone _ though what's left is still nearly five times the amount that poured from the Exxon Valdez. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In this Aug. 3, 2010 photo, a boat motors near oil sheen in the Gulf of Mexico, between the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill site and the Louisiana coast. BP claimed a key victory Wednesday in the effort to plug its blown-out well as a government report said much of the spilled oil is gone _ though what's left is still nearly five times the amount that poured from the Exxon Valdez. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Support vessels are seen surrounding the Helix Q4000, the vessel being used to perform the static kill operation, center at the site of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In this Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010, photo, Shoes sit on a boardwalk next to a public health warning sign in Orange Beach, Ala. The oil well that blew on April 20 off Louisiana and sullied the season is now capped, at least temporarily, but with just a few weeks left before school starts, and many tourists having already made other plans, business owners say the remaining time before Labor Day will largely do nothing to keep them afloat. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

A boat motors through oil sheen from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off East Grand Terre Island, where the Gulf of Mexico meets Barataria Bay, on the Louisiana coast, at sunset on Saturday, July 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Oil cleanup workers clean up tar balls on Pensacola Beach, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010. Tourism is starting to pick up along the Gulf Coast with the capping of the Deepwater Horizon wellhead. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

A bird flies over an oil sheen from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill at sunset off East Grand Terre Island, where the Gulf of Mexico meets Barataria Bay, on the Louisiana coast, Saturday, July 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A dolphin swims through an oil sheen from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off East Grand Terre Island, where the Gulf of Mexico meets Barataria Bay, on the Louisiana coast, Saturday, July 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A skimming boat is seen amongst a large stretch of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico near Timbalier Bay, off the coast of Louisiana, Wednesday, July 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is seen near an unprotected island in the Gulf of Mexico near Timbalier Bay, off the coast of Louisiana, Wednesday, July 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A skimming boat is seen amongst a large stretch of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico near Timbalier Bay, off the coast of Louisiana, Wednesday, July 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A large sheen of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, background, is seen approaching Timbalier Island in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana, Wednesday, July 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

GRAND ISLE, LA - JULY 29: Local residents gather on the beach to commemorate 100 days of the BP oil spill on July 29, 2010 in Grand Isle, Louisiana. Eleven lives were lost and three to five million barrels of oil have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico since the BP Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20, 2010. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Captain Vatroslav Garbin stands near his commercial oyster boat while on standby with the vessels of opportunity program in Empire, La., Thursday, July 29, 2010. Garbin signed a contract to participate in the vessels of opportunity program, but he has yet to be called to assist. As less heavy oil is found on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico and commercial fishing waters remain closed, local fishermen who signed up for the program are becoming worried about their futures as they wait dockside for a call to assist in spill cleanup efforts. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

GULF OF MEXICO, LA - JULY 27: (EDITORS NOTE: Distortion caused by heat.) Ships assist in clean up and containment near the source of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill July 27, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. Work continues to put a permanent plug on the well which has leaked an estimated three to five million barrels of oil. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

GULF OF MEXICO, LA - JULY 27: Ships assist in clean up and containment near the source of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill July 27, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. Work continues to put a permanent plug on the well which has leaked an estimated three to five million barrels of oil. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

A response vessel is seen along a line of emulsified oil between the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site and the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast, Monday, July 26, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A woman walks her dog along part of the contaminated beach in Grand Isle, La., as Tropical Depression Bonnie approaches the coast Saturday, July 24, 2010. Some ships prepared to move back to the site of BP's broken oil well Saturday as the remnants of a weakening Tropical Storm Bonnie rolled into the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

People walk along the surf along the beach in Grand Isle, La., as Tropical Depression Bonnie approaches the coast Saturday, July 24, 2010. Some ships prepared to move back to the site of BP's broken oil well Saturday as the remnants of a weakening Tropical Storm Bonnie rolled into the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Vessels are seen at dusk from the deck of the Coast Guard Cutter Decisive at the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast, Thursday, July 22, 2010. Key ships stationed over BP's crippled well in the Gulf of Mexico were ordered to evacuate Thursday ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie, but engineers have grown so confident in the leaky cap fixed to well head that they will leave it closed while they are gone. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The Development Driller II, right, and Development Driller III, which are drilling the relief wells, are seen at the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast, Thursday, July 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The Ocean Intervention III vessel in Port Fourchon, La., is shown Thursday, July 22, 2010. The vessel has assisted in remotely operated underwater vehicle, or ROV, operations at the Deepwater Horizon oil well leak site in the Gulf of Mexico for over 90 days. It is in port until Sunday for general maintenance and to pick up supplies. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Greenpeace activists mark the third month anniversary of the start of the Deepwater Horizon disaster by displaying banner from a Greenpeace boat in the Gulf of Mexico near Gulfport, Mississippi on July 20, 2010. The activists were calling attention to the environmental damage from the spill and pushing for an "Energy Revolution Now" to renewable energy sources. Photo by Sean Gardner

Vice President Joe Biden talks with reporters and employees at the oil boom decontamination facility at the Theodore Staging Facility in Theodore, Ala., Thursday, July 22, 2010. Biden toured the facility before speaking with business owners and addressing the media. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

GRAND ISLE, LA - JULY 21: Pelicans sit on boom to that is protecting Queen Bess Island on July 21, 2010 in Grand Isle, Louisiana. A possible storm that may head into the Gulf of Mexico where BP is drilling a relief well would suspend oil spill containment projects. If a low pressure system over Puerto Rico develops into a bigger storm, precautions would have to be taken and a delay of up to 14 days could occur for work at the relief well, a project considered the best way to permanently stop the flow of oil into the gulf. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

GRAND ISLE, LA - JULY 21: Pelicans sit on boom to that is protecting Queen Bess Island on July 21, 2010 in Grand Isle, Louisiana. A possible storm that may head into the Gulf of Mexico where BP is drilling a relief well would suspend oil spill containment projects. If a low pressure system over Puerto Rico develops into a bigger storm, precautions would have to be taken and a delay of up to 14 days could occur for work at the relief well, a project considered the best way to permanently stop the flow of oil into the gulf. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

GRAND ISLE, LA - JULY 21: A barge used to put in pilings to anchor boom works near Queen Bess Island on July 21, 2010 in Grand Isle, Louisiana. A possible storm that may head into the Gulf of Mexico where BP is drilling a relief well would suspend oil spill containment projects. If a low pressure system over Puerto Rico develops into a bigger storm, precautions would have to be taken and a delay of up to 14 days could occur for work at the relief well, a project considered the best way to permanently stop the flow of oil into the gulf. The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20 leaking millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Brown pelicans try to balance on an oil boom near Martin Island in St. Bernard Parish, La., Wednesday, July 21, 2010. Crews found scores of dead birds and a number of live birds affected by oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Monday in the eastern part of the parish behind the Chandeleur Islands. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

A flock of white ibis lift off from marsh grass on Dry Bread Island in St. Bernard Parish, La., Wednesday, July 21, 2010. Crews found about 130 dead birds and 15 live birds affected by oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Monday in the eastern part of the parish behind the Chandeleur Islands. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Workers prepare to lay oil boom around an island in St. Bernard Parish, La., Wednesday, July 21, 2010. Crews found about 130 dead birds and 15 live birds affected by oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Monday in the eastern part of the parish behind the Chandeleur Islands. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Oil sheen and weathered oil are seen from the air near the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site over the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast, Tuesday, July 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A boat cuts through a sheen of oil near the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast, Tuesday, July 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A myriad of vessels are seen at the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site over the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast, Tuesday, July 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

POINTE AUX CHENES , LA - JULY 19: Birds are seen at an oiled marsh July 19, 2010 near Pointe Aux Chenes, Louisiana. Officials are concerned about leakage reportedly spotted near BP's newly installed oil well cap which appeared to be sealed. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

POINTE AUX CHENES , LA - JULY 19: An oiled marsh is seen July 19, 2010 near Pointe Aux Chenes, Louisiana. Officials are concerned about leakage reportedly spotted near BP's newly installed oil well cap which appeared to be sealed. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

POINTE AUX CHENES , LA - JULY 19: A worker makes adjustments to oil boom July 19, 2010 near Pointe Aux Chenes, Louisiana. The tribe has lived along the threatened marshes for more than one hundred years and make their livelihood on the water. Officials are concerned about leakage reportedly spotted near BP's newly installed oil well cap which appeared to be sealed. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Tourists watch the surf in Gulf Shores, Ala., after walking through a patch of oil that washed ashore Saturday, July 17, 2010. Tourism has picked up at the beach since BP stopped the flow of oil into the Gulf. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

An oil slick sits on the surface of the water a few miles from the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico Saturday, July 17, 2010. BP's experimental cap was holding Saturday near the end of a two-day well integrity test. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Tourists avoid a patch of oil on the beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., Saturday, July 17, 2010. Tourism has picked up at the beach since BP stopped the flow of oil into the Gulf. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Sunbathers maneuver past oily residue on the Orange Beach, Ala., Sunday, July 18, 2010. BP hopes to keep using its giant stopper to block oil from reaching the Gulf of Mexico until they plug the blown out well permanently, the company said Sunday. Retired U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen outlined a different plan on Saturday, saying that after the test was complete, the cap would be hooked up through nearly a mile of pipes stretching to ships on the surface that will collect the oil.(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

An oily brown stain continues to ride in on the tide in Orange Beach, Ala., Sunday, July 18, 2010. BP hopes to keep using its giant stopper to block oil from reaching the Gulf of Mexico until they plug the blown out well permanently, the company said Sunday. Retired U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen outlined a different plan on Saturday, saying that after the test was complete, the cap would be hooked up through nearly a mile of pipes stretching to ships on the surface that will collect the oil. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

GULF OF MEXICO - JULY 18: Oil sheen is seen near the source of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill on July 18, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. Scientists are concerned about leakage spotted near BP's oil well which appeared to be sealed. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

GULF OF MEXICO - JULY 18: Oil sheen is seen near the source of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill on July 18, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. Scientists are concerned about leakage spotted near BP's oil well which appeared to be sealed. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Workboats operate near the Transocean Development Drilling Rig II at the site of the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico Friday, July 16, 2010. The wellhead has been capped and BP is continuing to test the integrity of the well before resuming production. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

A workboat is surrounded by an oily slick at the site of the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico Friday, July 16, 2010. The wellhead has been capped and BP is continuing to test the integrity of the well before resuming production. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Rain falls on oil sheen on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil well leak off the coast of Louisiana Thursday, July 15, 2010. Crew members onboard the Pacific Responder oil skimming vessel prepared to skim oil this morning, but operations were put on standby after lightning was spotted nearby. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Oil sheen is contained by a munson boat pulling boom alongside the Pacific Responder oil skimming vessel on the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Thursday, July 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Oil is seen on the surface of the the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Wednesday, July 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Oil is seen on a boom as it is pulled by the Pacific Responder oil skimming vessel in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Wednesday, July 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

BARATARIA BAY, LA - JULY 14: A young seagull rests on boom used to contain the oil spill July 14, 2010 in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. BP's project of capping the Gulf of Mexico spill was halted today after the federal government questioned whether the operation could pressure the broken well and make the leak worse. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Booms pulled by the Pacific Responder oil skimming vessel contain oil on the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Wednesday, July 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Oil-damaged plants are seen in a Louisiana bay south of Myrtle Grove, La., Tuesday, July 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Judi Bottoni)

A pelican cleans its feathers while resting on oiled shrubs on Cat Island off the coast of Louisiana on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Judi Bottoni)

WAVELAND, MS - JULY 09: An oil coated containment boom is seen on the beach after it was moved out of place high winds and waves in the past days which brought oil ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 9, 2010 in Waveland, Mississippi. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A vessel floats amidst a large oil slick near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Sunday, July 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A controlled oil burn is seen near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, July 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A controlled oil burn is seen near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Sunday, July 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Oil and oil skimmers are near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Sunday, July 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

WAVELAND, MS - JULY 09: A worker cleans up oily globs that washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico July 9, 2010 in Waveland, Mississippi. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

WAVELAND, MS - JULY 09: A worker uses a shovel to pick up oily globs that washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico July 9, 2010 in Waveland, Mississippi. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A Vinca flower floats in a brown, oily sludge in a canal behind a home just off Lake Pontchartrain near Slidell, La., Thursday, July 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Chuck Cook)

Beach walkers make their way past puddled oil along the beach in Orange Beach Ala., Wednesday, July 7, 2010. Oil washed ashore with the tide overnight, leaving an ugly stain that brought out dozens of BP workers to clean.(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Hannah Carroll of Longview, Tex., lies in the sun on the oil stained beach in Orange Beach Ala., Wednesday, July 7, 2010. Oil washed ashore with the tide overnight, leaving an ugly stain that brought out hundreds of BP workers to clean.(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

PORT FOURCHON, LA - JULY 7: Oil coats plants and oil absorbent material as high winds and waves caused the cancellation of cleanup operations on the beach on July 7, 2010 in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Foul weather continues to hamper oil cleanup operations on parts of the gulf coast. Workers are hoping to get back to work soon to help contain the Deepwater Horizon spill which has sent millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

An unidentified beach walker makes his way past an ugly stain of oil on the beach in Orange Beach Ala., Wednesday, July 7, 2010. Oil washed ashore with the tide overnight, leaving a stain that brought out dozens of BP workers to clean.(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Beach walkers make their way past puddled oil along the beach in Orange Beach Ala., Wednesday, July 7, 2010. Oil washed ashore with the tide overnight, leaving an ugly stain that brought out dozens of BP workers to clean.(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

PORT FOURCHON, LA - JULY 7: Oil coats a barrier on the shoreline as high winds and waves caused the cancellation of cleanup operations on the beach on July 7, 2010 in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Foul weather continues to hamper oil cleanup operations on parts of the gulf coast. Workers are hoping to get back to work soon to help contain the Deepwater Horizon spill which has sent millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

PORT FOURCHON, LA - JULY 7: Oil coats plants and rocks as high winds and waves caused the cancellation of cleanup operations on the beach on July 7, 2010 in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Foul weather continues to hamper oil cleanup operations on parts of the gulf coast. Workers are hoping to get back to work soon to help contain the Deepwater Horizon spill which has sent millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

An oily skim board is caught in the current up against an oil retention boom at the Perdido Pass in Orange Beach Ala., Tuesday, July 6, 2010. A $4.6 million oil retention boom system that is spread across the Perdido Pass failed last week when heavy seas from Hurricane Alex broke sections of the boom apart. Oil spotting and skimming operations have been hampered by bad weather and heavy seas. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

With oil and tar found in the seaweed washed ashore in Texas' McFaddin Beach, clean up crew contract laborers, Anthony Batchan, left, and Joseph Thomas pick up oil laced seaweed on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 to have it tested by the U.S. Coast Guard to determine if the material originated from the Deepwater Horizon leak. (AP Photo/The Beaumont Enterprise, Guiseppe Barranco) MANDATORY CREDIT; NO SALES; MAGS OUT; TV OUT

GULF SHORES, AL- JULY 04: People take photographs of a slick of oil on the beach after it washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 4, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The oil spill may have a huge negative economic impact on gulf coast businesses during what should be a busy 4th of July. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

GULF SHORES, AL- JULY 04: A slick of oil is seen on the beach after it washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 4, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The oil spill may have a huge negative economic impact on gulf coast businesses during what should be a busy 4th of July. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

GULF SHORES, AL - JULY 04: An American flag lays in a slick of oil that washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 4, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The oil spill may have a huge negative economic impact on gulf coast businesses during what should be a busy 4th of July. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

GULF SHORES, AL- JULY 04: A slick of oil is seen on the beach after it washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 4, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The oil spill may have a huge negative economic impact on gulf coast businesses during what should be a busy 4th of July. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

PORT FOURCHON, LA - JULY 03: Workers clear off some of the oil washing on to Fourchon Beach from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 3, 2010 in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Glen and Dee Dee Richardson sit on the beach with friends Terry and Debbie Taudin of Lafayett, La., in Perdido Key, Fla., Friday, July 2, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon incident is expected to continue to come ashore over the July 4th weekend and businesses are concerned about a lack of tourists. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

An unidentified girl avoids puddles of oil on the beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., Friday, July 2, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon incident is expected to come ashore over the July 4th weekend. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

BP Mobile Incident Commander Keith Seilhan talks with oil cleanup workers in Gulf Shores, Ala., Friday, July 2, 2010. Seilhan was informing the workers that they had BP's permission to speak to members of the media if they wished. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon incident is expected to come ashore over the July 4th weekend. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Tar balls sit on the beach in Perdido Key, Fla., Friday, July 2, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon incident is expected to continue to come ashore over the July 4th weekend and businesses are concerned about a lack of tourists. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

GULFPORT, MS - JULY 1: An Oil cleanup worker uses a shovel to remove thick oil that washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 1, 2010 in Gulfport, Mississippi. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A.J. Ryan, 9, walks by tarred oil which washed ashore during high seas produced by Hurricane Alex in Long Beach, Miss., Thursday, July 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Workers demonstrate a sand-cleaning technology, called Green Tech, for evaluators from Florida's Department of Environmental Protection and BP on Pensacola Beach Thursday morning, July 1, 2010. The Florida DEP organized the event to find new ideas for treating the oil spill. (AP Photo/Melissa Nelson)

Tarred oil, which washed ashore during high seas produced by Hurricane Alex, is seen along the Shore of the Gulf of Mexico in Pass Christian, Miss., Thursday, July 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

GULFPORT, MS - JULY 1: Thick oil is seen washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 1, 2010 in Gulfport, Mississippi. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

GULFPORT, MS - JULY 1: Oil cleanup workers pick up small oily globs as they remove residue washing ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 1, 2010 in Gulfport, Mississippi. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

An oily sailboat heads out on a skimming mission in the Perdido Pass in Orange Beach, Ala., Thursday, July 1, 2010. A $4 million oil booming system at the opening of the pass came apart when six foot seas caused by Hurricane Alex battered the coast. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

BILOXI, MS - JULY 1: Bob Stribling collects oil globs that washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 1, 2010 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Hurricane Alex produced high winds and rough seas, hindering the continued efforts to contain the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

BILOXI, MS - JULY 1: Bob Stribling holds one of the oil globs that he was collecting after it washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 1, 2010 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Hurricane Alex produced high winds and rough seas, hindering the continued efforts to contain the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

BILOXI, MS - JULY 1: A worker wears protective gear as he uses a shovel to carry an oil glob that he was removing from the beach after it washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on July 1, 2010 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Hurricane Alex produced high winds and rough seas, hindering the continued efforts to contain the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Sand blows across a tiger dam on a beach as the outer edges of Tropical Storm Alex approach the Louisiana coast in Grand Isle, La., Tuesday, June 29, 2010. The dam is expected to protect the island's beaches from oil that washes ashore from April's Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

PORT FOURCHON, LA - JUNE 28: Crude oil lays on the ground in the foreground as workers are seen moving absorbent material as they try to capture some of the oil washing on to Fourchon Beach from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on June 28, 2010 in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. According to reports on June 28, analysts are saying the economic damage from the oil may not impact the U.S. economy beyond the Gulf region. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

PORT FOURCHON, LA - JUNE 28: A worker uses a vacuum hose to capture some of the oil washing on to Fourchon Beach from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on June 28, 2010 in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. According to reports on June 28, analysts are saying the economic damage from the oil may not impact the U.S. economy beyond the Gulf region. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

GRAND ISLE, LA - JUNE 29: Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill is seen in the marsh of a barrier island on June 29, 2010 near Grand Isle, Louisiana. Tropical Storm Alex is producing high winds and rough seas, hindering the continued efforts to contain the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ELMER'S ISLAND, LA - JUNE 29: Oil sheen from the Deepwater Horizon spill is seen in the water off the beach on June 29, 2010 in Elmer's Island, Louisiana. Tropical Storm Alex is producing high winds and rough seas, hindering the continued efforts to contain the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

PORT FOURCHON, LA - JUNE 28: Workers are seen moving absorbent material as they try to capture some of the oil washing on to Fourchon Beach from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on June 28, 2010 in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. According to reports on June 28, analysts are saying the economic damage from the oil may not impact the U.S. economy beyond the Gulf region. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

PORT FOURCHON, LA - JUNE 28: A slick of oil is seen on Fourchon Beach as it washes ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on June 28, 2010 in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. According to reports on June 28, analysts are saying the economic damage from the oil may not impact the U.S. economy beyond the Gulf region. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A Blackhawk helicopter carrying Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal flies over oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in waters less than ten miles off the coast of Grand Isle, La., Monday, June 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

A surfer watches an oily wave approach as he waits to catch a ride in Destin, Fla., Monday, June 28, 2010. Tourism on the Gulf coast is way off, with some hotels and condominium owners saying their business is down by 50 percent. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

ORANGE BEACH, AL - JUNE 26: Waves carry in blobs of oil as they wash ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on June 26, 2010 in Orange Beach, Alabama. Tropical Storm Alex may force collecting operations involving ships and other siphoning equipment to be temporarily halted. This would cause oil to flow unchecked from the well until the weather improves and siphoning operations can be restored. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ORANGE BEACH, AL- JUNE 27: A buoy that washed ashore is seen stained with oil residue from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on June 27, 2010 in Orange Beach, Alabama. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the April 20 explosion on the drilling platform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A boat pulls absorbent materials along the surface of the Gulf of Mexico among large streaks of oil from the nearby Deepwater Horizon oil spill Sunday, June 27, 2010 close to shore in waters southeast of Venice, La. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Oily waters from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are seen near Breton Island in Gulf of Mexico, La., Saturday, June 26, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is seen floating on the surface of the water in Bay Batiste in Plaquemines Parish, La., Saturday, June 26, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The shoes of Cela Scott of Los Angeles, lie on the beach by oil washed ashore at Pensacola Beach in Pensacola Fla., Wednesday, June 23, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to wash a shore along the Florida panhandle. (AP Photo/ Michael Spooneybarger)

Dave Crocco of Los Angeles, takes cell phone photos of oil washed ashore at Pensacola Beach in Pensacola Fla., Wednesday, June 23, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to wash a shore along the Florida panhandle. Crocco is with a band Icky's Ego that traveled to the area to film a music video. (AP Photo/Michael Spooneybarger)

From left, Gina Durell, Island Durell and Linda Harrison of Pensacola, Fla., watch as crews work to clean up oil washed ashore at Pensacola Beach, Fla., Wednesday, June 23, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to wash a shore along the Florida panhandle. (AP Photo/ Michael Spooneybarger)

Cela Scott of Los Angeles, takes cell phone photos of oil washed ashore at Pensacola Beach in Pensacola Fla., Wednesday, June 23, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to wash a shore along the Florida panhandle. Scott is with a band Icky's Ego that traveled to the area to film a video. (AP Photo/ Michael Spooneybarger)

Kevin Hart of Poplarville, Miss., and his two children, Kevin Jr., hidden; and Devynn; look at tar balls that washed ashore in Orange Beach, Ala., on Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Conditions had been improving on the Alabama coast until a new wave of oil hit. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

A patch of oil is seen in the water near the coast of Grand Isle, La., Monday, June 14, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill continues to impact areas across the gulf coast. (AP Photo/Derick E. Hingle)

GULF SHORES, AL - JUNE 14: Oil soaked boom is seen near the base of a fishing pier on June 14, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. U.S. government scientists have estimated that the flow rate of oil gushing out of the ruptured Deepwater Horizon oil well in Gulf of Mexico may be as high 40,000 barrels per day. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

GULF SHORES, AL - JUNE 14: A worker hauls away a load of garbage bags filled with oil soaked boom on the beach on June 14, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. U.S. government scientists have estimated that the flow rate of oil gushing out of the ruptured Deepwater Horizon oil well in Gulf of Mexico may be as high 40,000 barrels per day. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill covers marsh wetlands in northwestern Barataria Bay near Grand Isle, Louisiana, June 14, 2010.BP may have taken dangerous 'shortcuts' in the 'days and hours' before a deadly blast that led to the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill, key lawmakers investigating the catastrophe charged Monday. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

GRAND ISLE, LA - JUNE 14: Oil is seen in the water off a beach June 14, 2010 on Grand Isle, Louisiana. The BP spill has been called the largest environmental disaster in American history. U.S. government scientists have estimated that the flow rate of oil gushing out of a ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well may be as high 40,000 barrels per day. President Obama will make his fourth trip to the Gulf on Monday. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill washes ashore in Orange Beach, Ala., Saturday, June 12, 2010. Large amounts of the oil battered the Alabama coast, leaving deposits of the slick mess some 4-6 inches thick on the beach in some parts. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill washes ashore in Orange Beach, Ala., Saturday, June 12, 2010. Large amounts of the oil battered the Alabama coast, leaving deposits of the slick mess some 4-6 inches thick on the beach in some parts. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Oily residue fouls the shore in Orange Beach, Ala., Saturday, June 12, 2010. Large amounts of the oil battered the Alabama coast, leaving deposits of the slick mess some 4 inches thick on the beach in some parts. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill washes ashore in Orange Beach, Ala., Saturday, June 12, 2010. Large amounts of the oil battered the Alabama coast, leaving deposits of the slick mess some 4-6 inches thick on the beach in some parts. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Thick oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill floats on the surface of the water and coats the marsh wetlands in Bay Jimmy near Port Sulphur, Louisiana, June 11, 2010. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

Thick oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill floats on the surface of the water and coats the marsh wetlands in Bay Jimmy near Port Sulphur, Louisiana, June 11, 2010. BP's liabilities sky-rocketed in tandem with estimates about the scale of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill Friday, as analysts pushed the possible price tag well above four billion dollars. Wall Street experts said the monetary cost of the disaster for BP would be tied to new estimates that put the amount of oil spilled at between one and two million barrels so far, double the previous estimate. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

Thick oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill floats on the surface of the water and coats the marsh wetlands in Bay Jimmy near Port Sulphur, Louisiana, June 11, 2010. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

The surface of the Gulf of Mexico glistens with color as light reflects off the oil sheen at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, June 13, 2010. Oil continues to flow from the wellhead some 5,000 feet below the surface. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Stripes of oil are seen near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the Alabama coast as viewed from a Coast Guard HC-144A plane Thursday, June 10, 2010. (AP Photo/Mobile Press-Register, John David Mercer) MAGS OUT; NO SALES

Oil is burned and skimmed by boats near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Sunday, June 13, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The glove-covered hands of Dan Howells, deputy campaign director with Greenpeace, are coated with a layer of oil after he dipped them in oil floating on the surface in the Gulf of Mexico following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill near Grand Isle, Louisiana, June 10, 2010. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

This image from video provided by BP PLC early Thursday morning, June 10, 2010 shows oil continuing to pour out at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. The containment cap on the ruptured well is capturing 630,000 gallons a day and pumping it to a ship at the surface. The government has estimated 600,000 to 1.2 million gallons are leaking per day, but a scientist on a task force studying the flow said the actual rate may be between 798,000 gallons and 1.8 million. (AP Photo/BP PLC) NO SALES

In this June 7, 2010 photo-image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA%u2019s Terra satellite, at least part of the oil slick is pale gray. A large area of oil is southeast of the Mississippi Delta, at the site of the leaking British Petroleum well. Traces of thick oil are also visible farther north. The Deepwater Horizon Unified Response reported oil washing ashore and immediately offshore in eastern Alabama and northwestern Florida on June 7, and this oil is not visible in the image. (AP Photo/NASA)

WASHINGTON - JUNE 09: Commercial fisher-woman Diane Wilson of Seadrift, Texas, pours a jar of syrup made to look like oil over herself as a U.S. Captiol Police officer drags her from a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing about the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill June 9, 2010 in Washington, DC. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar testified before the committee about the Obama Administration's increased safety regulations of energy exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf in the wake of the ongoing BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

GULF SHORES, AL - JUNE 08: Workers pick up oil patches and tar that washed up on the beach at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on June 8, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Early reports indicate that BP's latest plan to stem the flow of oil from the site of the Deepwater Horizon incident may be having some success. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

An oil sheen is seen near the site of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday, June 8, 2010. The cap over the broken BP wellhead is collecting more gushing crude day by day, but that's about the extent of the details known as authorities try to pinpoint how much oil is escaping, where it's going and what harm it will cause. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Marine reef ecologist Scott Porter works to remove oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill off his hands, Monday, June 7, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico south of Venice, La.. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Patches of oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill are seen from an underwater vantage, Monday, June 7, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico south of Venice, La.. (AP Photo/Rich Matthews)

Patches of oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill are seen from an underwater vantage, Monday, June 7, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico south of Venice, La.. (AP Photo/Rich Matthews)

Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill floats on the water as the sky is reflected in sheen on Barataria Bay off the coast of Louisiana Monday, June, 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Plaquemines Parish coastal zone director P.J. Hahn holds up his hands after dipping them into the waters at Bay Long off the coast of Louisiana Sunday, June 6, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill continued to move inland along several gulf states. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Plaquemines Parish coastal zone director P.J. Hahn looks at his hands after dipping them into the waters at Bay Long off the coast of Louisiana Sunday, June 6, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill continued to move inland along several gulf states. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A clean-up worker picks up blobs of oil in absorbent snare on Queen Bess Island at the mouth of Barataria Bay near the Gulf of Mexico in Plaquemines Parish, La., Friday, June 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Angela Rutherford of Summerdale, Ala., and, Misty Robinette, left, of Foley, Ala., walk along a stretch of a 700-yard long strip of oil that washed up on the beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., Friday, June 4, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster has started washing ashore on the Alabama and Florida coast beaches. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Tourists watch as workers clean oil from the sand along a 700-yard long strip of oil that washed up on the beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., Friday, June 4, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster has started washing ashore on the Alabama and Florida coast beaches. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Tourists watch as Steve Gardner of Mobile scrapes oil from the sand along a 700-yard long strip of oil that washed up on the beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., Friday, June 4, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster has started washing ashore on the Alabama and Florida coast beaches. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Tourists watch as Steve Gardner of Mobile scrapes oil from the sand along a 700-yard long strip of oil that washed up on the beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., Friday, June 4, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster has started washing ashore on the Alabama and Florida coast beaches. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Ted Van Loo of Jefferson City, Miss., takes photographs of part of a 700-yard long strip of oil that washed up on the beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., Friday, June 4, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster has started washing ashore on the Alabama and Florida coast beaches. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Clean up crews, right, begin the process of cleaning up a 700-yard long strip of oil that washed up on the beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., Friday, June 4, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster has started washing ashore on the Alabama and Florida coast beaches. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

A bird flies over oil trapped in booms at Cat Island in Barataria Bay off the Louisiana Coast Friday, June 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A clean-up worker picks up blobs of oil with absorbent snare on Queen Bess Island at the mouth of Barataria Bay near the Gulf of Mexico in Plaquemines Parish, La., Friday, June 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A clean-up worker picks up blobs of oil with absorbent snare on Queen Bess Island at the mouth of Barataria Bay near the Gulf of Mexico in Plaquemines Parish, La., Friday, June 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A bird flies above oil off of East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast, June 3.

Oil is seen on the beach at Fort Morgan, Alabama on Thursday, June 3, 2010.

A footprint left in the sand fills with oil on Dauphin Island, Alabama, June 3.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's helicopter flies over the oily beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast, June 3, 2010.

Casi Callaway, Executive Director and Baykeeper of Mobile Baykeeper, holds clumps of sandy oil that washed up on Dauphin Island, Alabama, June 3.

A glove drips with oil after being dipped into water impacted by the Deepwater Horizon spill in Pass a Loutre, Louisiana on June 2.

Patches of oil stain the shoreline at Petit Bois Island in Alabama on June 2, 2010.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is seen reflected in oily water while touring an area at Pass a Loutre, Louisiana on June 2.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal speaks to the media amidst oiled marshes in Pass a Loutre, Louisiana on June 2.

Marsh grasses are seen soaked in oil on June 2 in Pass a Loutre, Louisiana.

June 2, oil stains the sand left behind by low tide on a public beach in Dauphin Island, Alabama.

June 2, William Barnett's toes are stained with oil as he collects tars balls washing ashore on a public beach in Dauphin Island, Alabama.

As oil begins to appear on Alabama shores, contract workers patrol this public beach in Dauphin Island, Alabama to clean up oil on June 2, 2010.

A boat floats amidst oil at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico on June 2, 2010.

Memorial crosses symbolizing what is lost due to the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and oil spill stand in the front yard of a house in Grand Isle, La., Tuesday, June 1, 2010. "This is breaking people," property owner Patrick Shay, not pictured, said of the spill's effect on Grand Isle residents. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Louisiana National Guard Specialists Alvin Dunn and Bryan Jones carry a hose to fill a tiger dam on a beach in Grand Isle, Louisiana, on June 1. When completed, the water-inflated dam is expected to protect the island's entire shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Oil mixes with water in the Gulf of Mexico near Venice, Louisiana, on May 29.

Angelina Freeman, a coastal scientist for the Environmental Defense Fund, shows her oiled glove after taking a sample of oil at Pass a L'Outre, Louisiana, on May 28.

Oil floats around a rig at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana, Monday, May 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Oil is seen along the shoreline of Port Fourchon, La., Monday, May 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Skimming vessels collect oil at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana, Monday, May 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A supply vessel passes through an oil sheen near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana, Monday, May 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

FILE - In this May 28, 2010, file photo President Barack Obama, left, picks up a "tar ball" as LaFourche Parish president Charlotte Randolph, center, and U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander for the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, look on during a tour of areas impacted by the Gulf Coast oil spill in Port Fourchon, La. In yet another failed attempt a high-tech nation this time threw brute mass, old tools and golf balls at the oil gushing from the ocean floor, like blast from past. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, )

Reporter Anderson Cooper is reflected in oil-filled water during a tour of areas where oil has come ashore in Blind Bay, Louisiana, on May 26.

A hand covered with oil points to an oiled marsh where oil has come ashore in Blind Bay, Louisiana, on May 26.

Oil streaks approach Brush Island, Louisiana, on May 26.

Birds fly over an oil covered shoreline near Brush Island, Louisiana, on May 26.

Oil floats on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico on May 26.

Oil sheen is seen of the surface of the Gulf of Mexico on May 26.

Oil absorbent material boom lies near oiled rocks at a land bridge built by the Louisiana National Guard to stop oil from reaching Elmer's Island in Grand Isle, Louisiana, on May 25.

Douglas Inkley, left, from the National Wildlife Federation, stands near oil-soaked vegetation in Barataria Bay, just inside the coast of Louisiana, on May 25.

A dead porpoise dries as a BP cleanup crew works to remove oil from a beach at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on May 25.

Oil is seen inside a marsh in Pass a Loutre, on May 24.

A worker shovels oil off Fourchon Beach in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on May 24.

In this photo provided by Greenpeace, crews try to clean an island covered in oil on the South part of East Bay, south of Venice, Louisiana, on May 23.

Nesting pelicans are seen landing on May 22 as oil washes ashore on an island that is home to hundreds of brown pelican nests as well at terns, gulls and roseate spoonbills in Barataria Bay.

Baby, immature and adult oil stained pelicans rest on an island in Barataria Bay just inside the coast of Louisiana, on May 23.

Oil is trapped between two booms in a marsh in Pass a Loutre, along the coast of Louisiana, on May 22.

Oil booms sit in a marsh in Pass a Loutre, Louisiana, on May 22.

Oil is seen on an island near the South Pass of the Mississippi River on the coast of Louisiana on May 21.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal observes oil that got past booms as he tours a land bridge built by the Louisiana National Guard to hold back oil on May 21.

A Greenpeace activist trudges through oil on a beach near Venice, Louisiana, on May 20.

Oil washes through the reeds on a beach near Venice, Louisiana, on May 20.

Beach goers look at oil that has washed onto a beach in Grand Isle, Louisiana, on May 20.

National Wildlife Federation worker Emily Guidry examines oil on reeds along the Louisiana coast at the Mississippi River delta south of Venice, Louisiana, on May 20.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer Raul Sanchez bags and tags as evidence a dead, oil-covered pelican that was found on North Breton Island, Louisiana, on May 20.

Oil seeps onto wetlands on Elmer's Island in Grand Isle, Louisiana, on May 20. The oil moved inland despite oil booms that were placed at the wetlands' mouth.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal picks up a stick covered in oil on Elmer's Island in Grand Isle, Louisiana, on May 20.

Oil floats on the water in the marsh in Pass a Loutre, Louisiana, on May 19.

Oil floats on the water in the marsh in Pass a Loutre, Louisiana, on May 19.

Boat captain Preston Morris shows a surface sample of oil he collected the marsh in Pass a Loutre, Louisiana, on May 19.

Birds fly over a streak of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Louisiana.

Pea-sized remnants of weathered oil float on the Gulf of Mexico seventeen miles southeast of the South Pass of the Mississippi River on the Louisiana coast Friday, April 30, 2010.

Alishye:

Alishye:

From AP: A dead sea turtle is seen along the shoreline, Saturday, May 1, 2010 in Breton National Wildlife Refuge, La.

A hard hat covered in oil is found in the waters of Chandeleur Sound, Louisiana.

Clumps of oil stain the waters of Chandeleur Sound, Louisiana.

Anna Ranalli:This photo was taken today May 17, 2010 on the beach of Pass Chrisitian, MS. We dont know what this is and would like to know. someone please reply. is it a piece of the rig that exploded? please contact me if you know what this is annajean1207@yahoo.com

vta:Shores of Alabama Gulf Coast covered in dead seaweed, oil, tar and a foamy sludge. Beaches had not been closed and tourists continued to get into the water.

switch607:the beaches of grand isle in louisiana

switch607:another view of the beaches of grand isle louisiana

Zachary Winter:this was taken from a commerical airliner from approximately 40,000 feet. more on iphoneography blog: http://zdw.posterous.com/

lalea1860:

lalea1860:

tokeitup420:A dead turtle floats on a pool of oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in Barataria Bay off the coast of Louisiana Monday, June, 7, 2010.

tokeitup420:Hermit crabs struggle to cross a patch of oil from the the Deepwater Horizon spill on a barrier island near East Grand Terre Island, Louisiana on Sunday, June 6, 2010.

Cari George:June 17, 2010
Grand Isle, LA
A photograph of the oil spill through the lens of an artistic photographer.

Cari George:June 17, 2010
Grand Isle, LA
Oil washes up on the beach of Grand Isle, Louisiana, leaving it coated with a sheen of oil and tar balls. This photo is of a piece of shore that had just been 'cleaned'.